This recent study reports that 36% of Americans believe in UFO’s. I was trying to remember what percent of Americans believed in evolution and came across this gallop poll. If you look at the numbers it is actually more likely that an American will believe in UFO’s than in the purely scientific theory of evolution ( ie: God had no part in it).
What a sad commentary on the intelligence and education of the average man/ woman in this country or more accurately a scary statement about the ability of fundamentalist religions to brainwash our citizens.
You can’t blame it on religion, right? That’s the standard rebuttal to all manner of ignorance, mayhem and violence perpetrated in the name of religion.
It’s my contention that since the 1970s, the conservatives have worked very hard to underfund education which has been very effective in dumbing down the U.S. public.
It’s my contention that since the 1970s, the conservatives have worked very hard to underfund education which has been very effective in dumbing down the U.S. public.
Occam
I agree and when those who are attempting to dumb others down get in power they usually attack those with the most education because they seldom fall for dogma and bigotry. All you have to do is read the history books of what has happened in nations when the far right has come to power. In other words, they are scared as hell at having to deal with people who can think for themselves.
I guess I don’t see the problem with belief in UFOs being greater than evolution. Every other movie or “documentary” is about aliens in some regard or other so you’d expect more people to have at least considered the idea. On the other hand when’s the last time you saw an action flick about evolution? The real problem I have is that 99% of the alien-themed movies or TV shows portray aliens in an extremely negative light (Ancient Aliens being the exception, and a couple others). There’s something very wrong about that attitude, not relating to aliens per se, but to “the other”. If producers can get people to fear aliens, seems like a small step to make them fear outsiders in general, and hence anyone outside of the US.
It’s my contention that since the 1970s, the conservatives have worked very hard to underfund education which has been very effective in dumbing down the U.S. public.
Occam
In the 19th Century the Southern slave holding states passed laws against educating slaves. It was illegal to teach a slave to reread or write as this would cause them to be “truculent” to their masters. The planters feared an uprising led by educated Arfican-Americans that would sweep the south and create a rebellion. This continued with Jim Crow until 1954. Don’t forget child labor in the early 20Th Century either. Low wages, long working hours, a 6 day week and no unions meant legal slavery for the working poor. The industrialists who back the conservatives would very much like to return to the “good old days”. There has been a concerted effort by conservatives to revamp the educational system and tie it directly to the needs of industry only. Academic classes have been downplayed for more applied curriculum and vocational Ed. systems are springing up like mushrooms. In some states history classes have been dumped and students are ignorant of the legal system. They have no, or a limited knowledge of how their own government works. Our government classes last year were cut to one semester instead of a year. One semester to teach students how their own gov’t works! An ignorant electorate means… .
That is good news, because as people move away from traditional Christianity, they might not leave religion entirely, but instead they may take a first step away from the gods. Where might they go? What else could they believe in? What else could be out there? Well maybe there are alien visitors, science says that there are other worlds, and there are so many that they could be inhabited, and if so many are inhabited then maybe some could be intelligent, and some capable of interstellar travel, and some able to find Earth. It is not rigorous science, but it is a step away from the gods towards science.
And is there anywhere they could go to find their way, to find a source that examines the line between the science and the non-science, a periodical that helps them to sort out the good from the bad information? Maybe the CFI publishes such a magazine?
Yeah, UFOs are annoying, ruining TV channels that are supposed to be good ones with history shows about “Ancient Aliens”, but couldn’t it be a step in the right direction? Take heart skeptics, you just have to meet people were they are at, not at the point that you want they to be at.
The anti-evolution crowd is completely separate, don’t you know?
Nah, the preachers will merely claim that the aliens are messengers from god (or christ) so they can strengthen their sermons.
Occam
You’re right, of course. Christianity is greedy, they’ll embrace any secular idea and claim it for Christianity that they can get their hands on. I remember how severely and viciously they condemned burned and broke all of those Rock ‘n’ Roll records of the past saying that, “Rock ‘n’ Roll has got to go, go, go, go!”
But now-a-days just look at ‘em, they’re using all the Rock ‘n’ Roll pyrotechnics, lights, theatrics, PA systems, and the crowds are lifting up their hands and waving them left and right… they’re having Rock concerts and claiming that they are Christian gatherings!!!!! The irony of it astounding, and so funny, I just love irony, I just love to see the tables turn. Good for them that they are enjoying themselves too, I want to join the party too… but they call those Rock concerts Christian? I doubt it, its just a party.
Right now I can see a young man wearing a T-shirt that says, “What wouldn’t Jesus do?” and it pictures Jesus hang-gliding! The greedy Christianity will claim any idea for themselves. And this in Sin City (New York City), now what’s a man like him doing here?
You’re right, of course. Christianity is greedy, they’ll embrace any secular idea and claim it for Christianity that they can get their hands on. I remember how severely and viciously they condemned burned and broke all of those Rock ‘n’ Roll records of the past saying that, “Rock ‘n’ Roll has got to go, go, go, go!”
But now-a-days just look at ‘em, they’re using all the Rock ‘n’ Roll pyrotechnics, lights, theatrics, PA systems, and the crowds are lifting up their hands and waving them left and right… they’re having Rock concerts and claiming that they are Christian gatherings!!!!! The irony of it astounding, and so funny, I just love irony, I just love to see the tables turn. Good for them that they are enjoying themselves too, I want to join the party too… but they call those Rock concerts Christian? I doubt it, its just a party.
Right now I can see a young man wearing a T-shirt that says, “What wouldn’t Jesus do?” and it pictures Jesus hang-gliding! The greedy Christianity will claim any idea for themselves. And this in Sin City (New York City), now what’s a man like him doing here?
I bet you don’t smell nearly as much dope (marijuana) at the Christian rock concerts… (Although I wish ‘you’ did, might mellow them out a bit. It would also increase food vendor sales considerably.)
Nah, they’ll wait until they’re on their way home when they give their girlfriends a Dr. Pepper spiked with GhB. That way, when the girls wake up they’ll realize they’ve been violated by the evil spirits of rock ‘n roll.
(Although I wish ‘you’ did, might mellow them out a bit. It would also increase food vendor sales considerably.)
